When it rains, breaking hearts edition

I have one offer. A little disappointing and misleading, but still good enough that I will take it. They haven't required me to sign off until Monday, and I will do so unless I have another offer in hand.

Still have outstanding interviews and possible offers that will come in within the first two weeks of the new job.

Here's the question. Is there a good way to turn down a job you've already accepted without burning bridges?

Edit: Tried to cut the whine...

Original post, spoilered for length:

Spoiler: show

First of all, thanks to the people of the forum for helping me review my resume. After a few tweaks suggested by those here I have had a slew of interested contacts.

Second of all, even accounting for that it's weird. I had little to no contact over the course of the first 4 months of being unemployed. Now, over the last week and a half, I've had half a dozen phone interviews, an in-person interview last Monday, with an unofficial offer now presented, an interview scheduled for Friday, and at least two other companies interested but not at the interview point yet.

The truly strange thing is that each contact had something interesting. One was a contact over LinkedIn, a resource I only recently started using. One was from a paper resume (they actually listed no fax numbers, emails, or online contact methods, it had to be physical). One was from a company sharing a building with a former employer. And one actually sells their program to competitors and helps design competing products.

What a week. Now I just need one of them to turn into a real solid offer, and we'll be in good shape. I'd still rather telecommute, but work is work.

Nevarre> All of these offers would have been as welcome the first day searching as they are today. What I was looking for was either local or remote work-from-home. I don't have a solid offer, but I have a ton of likely leads. Four local companies interested, and I have still been turning down temp work of all kinds and work in the Twin Cities that would have required a minimum of 1+ hour commutes. If I sounded defensive before, it's because that point was never understood. Work at an office is not ideal, but it is perfectly acceptable.

Now to ask my other question. I will most likely get a suitable offer within the next week, and start work right around the 4th. I don't want to appear to job hop, but I made a couple of contacts during the job search that would be truly exciting, and I would be hard pressed to turn them down should they come through with an offer in the next couple of months. Is there a way to spin that to not look like job hopping?

I won't quit any position without another solid offer in place, but with the experiences I've had in the past several years being loyal hasn't paid off, and has landed me in the unemployment line more than once. Now I'm not going to stop at least keeping an ear open at any time.

Update: Received an official offer, it's a bump up from where I was but not what was advertised. I've got a day or so to mull it over, and I've got another interview tomorrow

New question. I've still got an interview or two set in the next few days. Can I leverage this offer I have received in any way to speed up the process or do anything positive to my situation with the next interview? I've given up on loyalty, at least until shown some by the company, but I am not quite ready to work for a week or two and drop off to the next so quickly.

Update: Received an official offer, it's a bump up from where I was but not what was advertised. I've got a day or so to mull it over, and I've got another interview tomorrow

New question. I've still got an interview or two set in the next few days. Can I leverage this offer I have received in any way to speed up the process or do anything positive to my situation with the next interview? I've given up on loyalty, at least until shown some by the company, but I am not quite ready to work for a week or two and drop off to the next so quickly.

If you think you can still negotiate it, tell the company you need a few more days to consider the offer; put a reasonably tight deadline on it (a couple of days after the upcoming interview). You don't have to tell them you're looking; they already know this. Two weeks out isn't realistic; but three or four days is. It sounds like you have maybe two; maybe that's enough.

If they lowballed a promised offer and then give you no time to evaluate it at ll, that's a pressure tactic. FWIW, the one job I later regret taking came in a package like that. In this economy, it's hard to do things like this, but I would be a little worried about a job that says "accept right now or go away." In theory, they're making a decision to hire you for years. What's three or four more days even if it has a few more interviews in it? Pressure of that sort suggests to me a revolving door mentality. Have you checked these guys out on Glassdoor?

The other thing to do is to tell anyone you interview during this little period, at the end of the interview day that you are already sitting on an offer; almost everybody large enough has an HR you see at the end and that's who you tell (for a smaller company, tell the hiring manager or the highest ranked manager you see).

Update: Received an official offer, it's a bump up from where I was but not what was advertised. I've got a day or so to mull it over, and I've got another interview tomorrow

For one, don't take less than what you're expecting. In the end it will nag at you that you could have been making more.

Salary negotiations are especially ridiculous when an organization tries to nickel and dime you. For example they advertise $50,000, you walk in and say that you're looking for $50,000, and then they come back and say $46,000. It's $4,000, folks, and if you can't tack the price of a couple of laptops onto my salary then I can't help you.

Quote:

New question. I've still got an interview or two set in the next few days. Can I leverage this offer I have received in any way to speed up the process or do anything positive to my situation with the next interview? I've given up on loyalty, at least until shown some by the company, but I am not quite ready to work for a week or two and drop off to the next so quickly.

Zero nailed it, IMO. Don't go blasting about that you've got an offer, but when the salary discussion comes up absolutely make it known that you are looking for X, you have been offered X, you'd like this job better and will take it for X+whatever. And if you're truly comfortable with X, that "whatever" may be an extra 5 days of PTO, or it may be the ability to work from home once a week, etc.

I will perhaps be a bit harsh. If they lowballed you with an offer, and you are unemployed, I would take it (as you need the work), and keep interviewing at other places.

If you then get a great offer elsewhere, well, that is what happens when the economy turns. You can still give them 2 weeks if you feel bad. The standard line to use is "Sorry guys, I didn't expect to get an offer from my dream company, but I did. I have to take it."

Oh, and assuming this is not a low value job (ie they really want you), there is also nothing wrong with saying "I can't start now, I need another week while I get in the rest of my offers." That is assuming that a delay of acceptance of a week won't cost you the job.

CPA> Sorta lowballed. Pay range quoted by manager in meetings was higher than the offer, but it's still acceptable. I will take it, but was a little disappointed with expensive insurance and minimal vacation.

Thanks for all the advice, as it stands I'll take the first offer since I have no other offers outstanding. I won't take the chance that a delay would cost me the job. Should an offer come up that is legitimately better, I'll sweat it then. Dream job isn't likely, but had to keep that out there.

It would be an interesting turning of the tables if I dealt with multiple offers though...*dreams*

I'd consider calling the interviewers (or whatever the HR contact is) first thing Monday to let them know you have an offer in hand, and ask to bump up the interview to something sooner. You need to make a decision.

I've got a firm timeline from the second place for their employee search that would finish before next Monday, when I start the first job. If I haven't started yet, I don't feel badly at all.

Nevarre> You have given me a few pieces of advice, and I thank you. I will keep looking as long as I am not in a comfortable position. Once I have a job I like with a good second possibility always waiting on the sidelines, I'll relax.

I'd consider calling the interviewers (or whatever the HR contact is) first thing Monday to let them know you have an offer in hand, and ask to bump up the interview to something sooner. You need to make a decision.

This. When I was last job-hunting, I had an offer from a web agency that seemed reasonable but not too exciting, and was fairly poorly paid. I also had an interview coming up with an iOS company whose main product was an app I used daily: I emailed them and explained the situation, and they moved the interview forward. Skip ahead a week and I accepted that job

It seems the first place were pretty desperate actually, as they were fine with me spending a while considering.